Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-03-26
Ownershin in Land.

EDS. RECoRD-UYIoN In all ages Of the
world there have been theoretical sophists
and visionary reformers of the same class
and character as Henry George, the great
disorganizer of social order, as well as the
worst enemy of the laboring class by caus-
ing strikes, which they have not the legal
right to enforce, and thereby bringing upon
them distress and want, together with the
loss of millions. l formed the aequaint-
ance of George in the fall of 70 while he
was on the editorial staff of the Egening
Post | then formed the opinion that as a
writer he was man of brilliant but vision
ary ideas, such as never were taught in the
philosophical schools of Socrates and Plato,
nor that of Lycurgus. In my Judgment
his theory based on the individual right of
man to take and occupy the land, owned
and in the possession of another, is con-
elusive evidence that his views are neither
logical nor in consonance with the safety
of social order, nor based upon principle of
law.
The right of exclusive ownership in land
is co-existent with the earliest history of
the human race. If it was not, why did
not the patriarch Abraham seize the field
of Machpetah by force and take it from
Ephron, instead of paying him 400 shekels
conferred individual ownership in land.
In my opinion civil society and civil order
cannot exist unless the principle of exclu-
sive ownership in land is recognized as a
necessary adjunct to the preservation and
safety of life, liberty and the maintenance
of the right to own other classes of prop
erty. Let the community throw away
these safeguards of civilization, and
anarchy, communism and socialism will
hang out their black banners in our legis-
latiN halls and sweep from US the last ray
of civil liberty.
TIE history of the world teaches us that
among all civilized nations the individual
rights of exclusive ownership and possess
sion Of property has always been cardi-
nal principal of civil government. ! have
no doubt but that the laboring classes have
grieveus wrongs which should be redressed,
but that does not give them any right to
violate by force the rights of others, nor to
injure the person or property of their en-
ployers. In my opinion mob law and per-
sonal violence are very poor weapons to use
by employees to force concessions from
their employers. These actions of the
laboring classes, who are clamoring for re-
dress of their wrongs, cannot be defended,
neither by moral nor civil law. 1t is the
! duty of every American citizen to defend
our civil institutions, not to combine to de-
stroy them. The priceless heritage of civil
| liberty, bequeathed to us by our sires, must
be preserved and kept from the grasp of
these foreign emissaries of communism, by
| the strong arm of the native-born heirs of
the Union, and these disorganizers must be
| taught to yield obedience to our laws, and
also respect for our institutions. The
American people, in justice to themselves,
must put down these disorganizers whose
origin can be traced to the European scum
of civilization and their cesspools of vice
and crime. E. $. HALL.
| Plymouth, March 10, 1887.